BREAKING STONE
by Rockleerox93
Summary: Lee is the charity case at the prestigious Konoha High, but after an unexpected tragedy, the most unfeeling person Lee knows rescues him from the pathetic and sad situation that damages his naive trusts: Gaara Sabaku.  WARNING: Long-ass one-shot. GaaLee


**WARNING: This is rated 'M' for obvious explict reasons. There are mentions of unwanted molestation/rape/drugs/underage sexual activity/ smut/ and violence. And on top of that: Yaoi. This is a GaaLee by the way. So those who have read the warning and are weak hearted, please spare yourself a stroke and me a flame, those who are brave, enjoy this long ass tale. **

**I do not own any character from the Naruto series.**

**Proceed~**

**BREAKING STONE**

The shrieking sounds of pleasure and chaos roared into the air of central downtown. Red light districts, gang sightings and shabby shelters littered the place, but so did a night club. A very _sensual_ night club that lured in any and all sinners, yet amongst the growing crowd was two senior teenagers that attended Konoha High.

One was a blond haired youth named Naruto who was rather bouncy, full of energy and very playful. The other was a rough red head named Gaara who was rather conservative and calm in comparison to the blond, but they both shared the same mischievous expression in their eyes as they walked up to the night club and flashed their fake ID's to the buff bouncer.

Waltzing into the club they felt the music throb through their chests. The lights flashed them with retro colors and the crowd danced fluidly around them like the sea. Yes, the atmosphere was rather…_intoxicating_.

"Ohhhh shit…that's my _song_!" Naruto laughed, dancing his way into the sea of people, beckoning the red head to follow, but Gaara shook his head and smirked, "Three hours Naruto, then meet me back at the door."

Naruto nodded sarcastically as he disappeared into the mix of the audience, no doubt having found someone to grind against. Gaara on the other hand didn't need to go find anyone to dance up on. People came to him naturally. In fact…a rather handsome raven haired boy clad in black had stroked fingers through Gaara's rough spikes the moment Naruto got swallowed up into the chaos of the dance floor.

"Hey…mind being my treat for the evening? You look rather tasty…" the boy whispered, twirling his finger in one of Gaara's course curls. The red head smiled and took the boys waist roughly, man handling him into a tight grip, to the point their clothes seemed to merge together as they danced. Gaara groaned against the other boy, more than turned on. The boy laughed between bouts of moans as Gaara nipped at his neck. With his mouth buried in the crook of the boy's neck, he spotted a familiar figure sitting at the bar a good distance away from them.

Gaara couldn't help but quirk an invisible eyebrow. A guy at the bar was wearing the uniform from Konoha High... The red head blinked and keyed in on the guy and found him to be none other than the charity case from his school.

Lee Rock.

"The hell…" Gaara murmured.

What the hell was Lee Rock doing at a club? And in his _uniform _no less? And how exactly did he manage to get past the bouncer looking like that?

'_What a dumbass.'_ Gaara thought.

He tried to keep his attention on the boy rubbing up against him, but he couldn't help but to look back at Lee. That damn uniform…he stuck out too much for Gaara to ignore.

Damn it all! With Lee present, he couldn't even manage a hard-on.

"You playing hard to get?" the boy whined. Gaara smiled to keep the boy's interest. The boy smirked darkly, "Just tell me when and we can continue this dance…_elsewhere_."

"A few more minutes…"Gaara whispered.

In truth, Gaara just wanted to see what Lee was up to, and if waiting a few minutes was the price to pay to figure the boy out, then so be it.

So far, Lee was sitting on a barstool, glancing around nervously at all the wild people. Gaara wondered if Lee felt as different as he looked. He almost smirked at the thought.

Lee was sipping at some kind of soda when a white haired man sat down beside him. The white haired man was good looking, classy even…just Gaara's type. What did a guy like that see in a wimp like Lee? The man was talking to Lee, purchasing a drink as he did so, but Lee seemed uninterested in what the man had to say. Lee waved the guy off politely, but the guy caught Lee's hand and leaned into his personal space. Lee's eyes went wide for a second before quickly looking around the dance floor, hinting that he needed help, but no one paid him any mind. The man stroked on of Lee's thighs gently, whispering something that made Lee tense up. Gaara was surprised that Lee wasn't fighting the man… What'd that guy say to him to make him cooperate?

Gaara shook his head. Lee was such a pushover, even in the most obvious of situations.

Well, if anything happened to Lee tonight, then it was going to be his own fault.

Gaara danced around his aroused partner, but stole a glance at the bar to see Lee looking off into the crowd, probably to catch his breath and think of a plan, but that was a dumb move on his part. The man dropped a tiny translucent pill into Lee's soda that immediately fizzed up into nothing. Lee slowly turned to face the man and said something that made the man nod his head in agreement.

Gaara then watched as Lee lifted his soda to his lips and gulped down the rest of the glass.

'_What an idiot.'_

It was obvious where the man's intentions were headed, but Gaara doubted Lee to be stupid enough to give in to the man. Even under the influence of a drug, Lee, at the most, would hallucinate, probably get crazy, and run out of the club on his own. Or really…that's if the man put a typical drug in Lee's drink. It couldn't be the date rape one…right? It was Lee. _Just_ Lee. The loser, the charity case, the weird one. Lee. Gaara threw his eyes down at the boy grinding against him and tried hard to grin, but couldn't.

"…mmm…ah! Hey…let's leave…now…please..mmm…!" The poor guy was losing it for Gaara, but Gaara couldn't appreciate the attention. His mind was elsewhere…He stole one last look at the bar and…

The man and Lee were gone.

Gaara pushed the raven haired boy aside and sharply glared about the crowd.

Oh! That's them ther-no. There! No… Gaara shoved and pushed through the crowd to get to the bar, and just as he thought…

A white haired man was guiding a stumbling Lee out the back entrance of the club.

_Shit_.

Gaara's heart bounced around in his chest. '_Where's that man going? What's he going to do to Lee? He's not going to kill him right? No! That shit doesn't happen…does it? _

The raven haired boy yanked at Gaara's collar, beckoning for him to leave with him that instant, but Gaara shoved the boy off with a growl. He had to find Naruto and get the hell out of there, but after a good minute in searching the club with his eyes, he couldn't spot his blond friend.

"To hell with Naruto…I'm out of here…" Gaara muttered. But despite what he said, despite what he had thought, his feet began to move toward the back entrance of the club, then under the doorway, and then in the alleyway…Gaara blinked.

Nothing but a bunch of shitty apartment complexes stacked on top of each other. A big stairway lead its way up a never ending building, but on the 3rd floor…a door was cracked just the slightest bit, as if whoever it was rushed to get inside. And a light was peeking through…

Gaara ascended the steps as silently as he could. Before he knew it, he was on the 3rd floor. He let out a long breath of relief. Had he been holding it in?

Gaara shook his head to silence his thoughts, and inched his way to the door and peeked through the crack. All he could see was the back of an old sofa.

Must be the living room.

He could make out faint breathing, one more ecstatic than the other, the press of fabric, and the ruffling of clothes…

Gaara could feel himself inch the door open bit by bit, until he was able to squeeze through completely. He crouched down low, and tip toed the best he could in a squat, until his shoulder was up against the back of the sofa.

The man from before…yeah. This was defiantly his house, and that ecstatic breathing, it wasn't breathing at all, it was a whispered laughing…

"Heh…you're not very bright...are kids really so naïve..?"

Gaara felt disgusted.

_No, just, Lee Rock._

There was no response from Lee. Just shallow breathing.

"…oh…lube…dammit!" The man sharply whispered. The sofa made a squeak of relief, a sign that Gaara knew meant the man got up. The soft patter of footsteps became softer and softer as the man left from Lee's presence.

Gaara's heart was doing flips, and his brain was drawing a blank. He couldn't breathe, and he couldn't think, but his adrenaline was sharp, and he hopped up out of his crouched position quietly, and swerved his body from behind the sofa.

Lee.

He was sprawled out on the old cushion with his shirt unbuttoned and his pants unbuckled…his face was very flushed, but his cheeks were wet, and his eyes were fogged over…

He looked so defeated.

Gaara blinked and quickly remembered the situation at hand and yanked Lee up quickly into a sitting position. He then proceeded to turn his back to Lee, and secured his arms around Lee's waist and lifted the boy up in one strong pull. He hooked an arm under Lee's bottom and carried him piggy-back style.

_Footsteps..!_

Gaara flew toward the door like a bullet, shoved it open with his chest, and raced down the steps so fast he was practically skipping stairs. He was on the last stair when he heard a loud shuffling of feet scurrying around on the 3rd floor. As Gaara turned the corner of the complex, he heard a yell from the man's door, but the sound was faint.

Gaara could only hear his heart pumping. Pumping faster than his feet.

Running. Running_. Running._

* * *

><p>Gaara didn't know why he did it, but he had. Lee was here. In his bed. Sleeping off the date rape drug.<p>

Gaara had run all the way to the apartment complex he and Naruto shared. They were young, but they were given permission to live independent of their parents to go to Konoha High, a prestigious academy for middle class students. Right now, he was on the balcony of their complex, smoking his third cigarette.

When he had gotten home, he immediately striped Lee of his uniform, left him in his briefs, and tucked Lee into his bed to rest. Lee was going through withdrawal symptoms… He had been sweating and murmuring in his wake when Gaara was carrying him, and now that he was knocked out, his chest barely moved as he breathed. Gaara really didn't want Lee to up and die. Especially in his bed. Now _that_ would be a real tragedy.

Gaara cursed under his breath and threw down his cigarette.

Damn it.

And he had come so close to getting some action from that boy… Gaara breathed to steady himself. He'd just ask Naruto if he could join in on whoever he brought home…and if he didn't bring anyone, well, they could get what they needed from each other. They were sex friends anyway.

A vibration on his thigh made his shoulders jump. He relaxed when he figured it was his Samsung receiving a text. Gaara fished around in his cargo pocket for his phone. He clutched it and smirked at the text.

_RE: RE: Foxface:_

_Where the hell r u, man? W.e. I'm ditching ur a$$! Cya home!_

Gaara shook his head. He should've called Naruto when he got to their apartment, but he really needed time to wind down his jumpy nerves.

_RE: RE: RE: Shu-Cock-u:_

_ Sry. I'm home, but u'll never guess who's here too. L8ter. _

Gaara clicked the keyboard back into his phone and waited for Naruto's arrival.

* * *

><p>The blond stared blankly at Gaara.<p>

"So, you're saying…that if I go into your room…I'm going to see Lee Rock. _School_, Lee Rock. Right?"

"Yep."

"You're shitting me."

"Nope."

"You slept with _him_?"

"N—Hey! I don't know whether to take that as a question, or an insult."

"Move it!" Naruto shoved past Gaara to get to his room and jerked the door open. He had expected Gaara to be lying to him, but in Gaara's bed, there indeed laid a Lee Rock.

And he was wide awake.

The boy looked so different from the Lee Naruto knew from school in the small moonlit room. He just looked like a kid. A kid that had gotten into some serious shit, and didn't know what to do with himself.

Naruto motioned his hand to signal Gaara to follow him into the room.

Naruto made his way slowly toward Lee, but as he got closer, his view got clearer and…Lee was crying. His shoulders weren't even shaking, and his mouth was a line, but his eyes…were wide. Wide with a fear that Naruto knew all too well...

Naruto knelt on Lee's side of the bed and tilted his head. In a calm tone, he asked, "Hey…what's wrong? You can tell me what happened…you're okay with me."

Lee's response was to look straight down into his palms, lay his face into them, and sob. Naruto quickly jumped out of his kneeling position, and was sitting on the bed with Lee, rubbing his back, not sure what to say or do. He looked to his roommate for help, but Gaara offered none. In fact…Gaara looked…_mad_. Naruto narrowed his eyes at Gaara.

"Dude, stop being a statue and get over here and help me!"

Gaara moved over toward the blond and the sobbing boy, but made no indication of helping. He stood tall, towering over them both with a glare on his face. Naruto growled.

"What is your problem..! Lee is crying and-

"It's his own fault." Gaara leaned into Lee and swatted the boy's hands away. Lee almost let his face fall onto his knees, but Gaara yanked Lee's chin up to his face and glared knives at him.

"Stop. Crying."

Lee blinked, unable to speak in his shock.

"You went to that club. Left with that man. And now you're here…It's your _own_ fault." Gaara glanced at Naruto, who was speechless, and then back to Lee, "He may feel sorry for you, but don't expect any sympathy from me."

With that, Gaara threw Lee's chin roughly, got up and headed out of his room, but a sharp pull stopped him. He turned around, and a burning mad blond was glaring up at him.

"What are you saying Gaara."

"What am I say-are you deaf, Naruto? He had it coming and-

"Are you saying that you knew...what was going on with Lee…and didn't do anything to stop it…before things got bad?"

"…That's not my pro-

"I will leave."

Naruto and Gaara turned their head to see Lee shrugging on his unbuttoned shirt and stumbling out of bed, pulling on uniform pants he gathered from the carpet floor.

"I just…I have to go…I…I am…sorry…" He threw his uniform jacket under his arm, and quickly slipped his shoes on.

Naruto ran to the boy and tried to console him with,"No Lee. It's too soon for you to leave. Just stay and-"

Lee shook his head wildly, his tears still wet on his cheek, "No, no, please! I…I just…I just want to go home!"He ran past Naruto, but Gaara gripped Lee's collar, successfully stopping him…if not choking him. Naruto swatted Gaara's hand away and took Lee's wrist gently.

"…Okay. I'll walk you to the curb then."

Gaara tried to convince Naruto otherwise, but the blond didn't want to hear it and rushed Lee down the apartment stairs and onto the sidewalk. By the time Gaara made it on the sidewalk, Naruto had flagged down a taxi, tucked Lee into it, paid the driver, and tapped the hood twice to let the man know he could go.

Naruto turned around to find a red head staring back at him with confusion.

Gaara pointed after the taxi, "What the hell was that?"

Naruto shook his head, "Doesn't matter."

"But-

"It doesn't _matter_!" Naruto snapped. He headed back toward the apartment stairs.

Gaara glared.

"Why are you even mad? It's just _Lee_." he tried to take Naruto's shoulder, but Naruto shifted around quickly, hurt.

"Why am I mad? Why are you so..._unaffected_?"

Gaara throws his hands out on either side of him saying, "I _saved _his ass. What more do I have to do?"

"What about _care_, Gaara!" Naruto shouted, his voice carrying a bit too much in the silent night.

Gaara's voice got real low, serious even, and said, "Care? Since when has _anyone_ cared about Lee? At school? No. When he gets shoved into a locker, when his binder is being ring-tossed into the hall, when his books get drawn in…" He leans into the blond's face, "do you go to his rescue, Naruto? No. How about a teacher? Do you see them putting a stop to the bullying? No. You don't. You know why? Because no one_ cares_ about a charity case!"

Naruto lowered his head and took in a breath to steady his nerves. He gave Gaara a strong stare and said just as seriously, "Yeah. I didn't care. No one did. But when someone, _anyone_, I know, or even know by _face_, if I could _prevent_ them from what Lee just went through tonight, then I _would_. You know _why?_ 'Cause I'm Naruto, and you're Gaara."

Gaara laughed in his face.

"And? Why didn't you save him, and I did? I'm human too you know, just not as much as you."

Naruto slowly walked up to Gaara with a small grin on his face…but it looked…sad.

"Yeah. I didn't care. Not until this moment. But...I...no one. Should go through...that."

Gaara snorted, "What? Rape? Lee was_ molested_, not raped. The man only felt him up. That's what it looked like anyway…"

"And?" Naruto spat back, "He may not have been raped, but violation is violation! And how could you say that...? To not care...to not..." he stared at Gaara. "What if it were me?"

Gaara blinked.

"...Well, that's differe-"

"How?"

Gaara shrugged and simply answered, "You're not Lee."

Naruto shakes his head and laughs lowly, "_OOoohhh_…Right, whatever. That doesn't matter anyway, Gaara. You'd still fail me."

"What are you talking about!" he snapped, but hearing his voice stretch into the neighborhood, he figured the conversation was getting too personal to disturb the neighbors with. "Let's go inside and do this."

Naruto ignored him and went on with his talk.

"You'd fail me because you already _have_."

Gaara sat for a minute, processing what he just heard.

"...What are you talking about."

Naruto tried to smile but failed.

"Our sophomore year, remember there was that transfer kid. He was our friend for a while, but he was always looking at me...but…I never noticed because I was looking at you."

"…"

"One day he asked me to come over, and I did, I mean, why wouldn't I? I'd been to his house to play games and throw up in his toilet from drinking...

"I wasn't...prepared. I didn't understand what he wanted from me. The vibe was different and so were his eyes and...I..."

Gaara frowned…he was uncomfortable. He knew what Naruto was saying…was getting at, but he just didn't…_understand_…'_Why say this now?'_

"…Naruto…"

Naruto shook his head and then pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Look, the details don't matter, because when I came to school the following day, he wasn't sitting with our group, and when I sat down, remember how I cried at the table, and everyone stared at me, and Neji looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't?"

Naruto laughed a sad laugh. A laugh that made Gaara's stomach twist.

The blond pointed at Gaara and grinned, "Even you..._you_, got uncomfortable, and just patted me on the back…"

Gaara shifted his weight…but said nothing.

"Everyone just looked and said nothing…not one word. No ,_'Hey what's wrong?'_, or _'Why are you upset?' _Nothing!"

Gaara quickly jumped to his own defense, "But..I did ask you! And you didn't want to talk about it! You just had to say-"

Naruto held his hand up to shut Gaara up.

"No one said what I needed to hear. No one _cared._ So I thought it was just me, and pretended to go along with it. So I smiled my stupid smile, and walked my stupid walk, because if I did that, no one would get quiet, and be all, '_uncomfortable'_."

Naruto nodded his head sadly at Gaara's silence.

"Sasuke. He moved that year, and didn't tell anyone good bye. And I'm why. And everyone figured out that we had an argument, but it was...more than that."

Gaara fumed silently to himself, but after a few awkward moments, he said, "I'd have killed him. I'd kill him if I saw him now. I...why didn't you just _say _something?"

Naruto looked up at Gaara, his eyebrows descending into check marks.

"Why? Why should I have said anything? You should have known back then, but it's been two years since, and no one has brought it up again!"

"Naruto-"

"No. I don't want to hear it." Naruto pivoted to go back up the apartment staircase. He was done for the night, and wasn't going to say anything to Gaara. Maybe for the rest of their senior year. Maybe even for the rest of their lives…

* * *

><p>When Moday arrived, Gaara groaned. He was too tired to attend Calculus, his first period, so he skipped it. He was generally walking down the hallway, ducking under the window's of classroom doors. He sighed… Usually, Naruto would be at his side making retarded faces to get giggles out of students with their homeroom doors open. Naruto was too mad at him and had attended his first period class.<p>

"Stupid…"Gaara murmured. He tucked his hands into his school slacks as he turned the corner. And…what do you know. There was Lee.

The ebony haired boy was staring at his locker. He didn't make a move to punch in the locker combo. He just…stared. Gaara studied Lee, and noticed that the boys satchel bag was tattered…it always had been, but a pink slip was sticking out of one of the pockets. A slip Gaara often forged to get out of trouble. It was a "come in late" slip from the counselor.

Gaara chose that moment to step out from behind the wall pillar he had been spying from.

"You just get here?"

Lee jumped. When he realized it was just Gaara, he stayed in his spot with a frozen look of shock. He removed his hand from his chest and lowered it to his stomach and exhaled deeply.

"Oh…yeah. I did."Lee shoved his hand into his pockets. Gaara figured the gesture was out of nervousness, but when he looked up at Lee's face, it was blank.

Gaara shrugged.

"So…you putting up your stuff or what." Gaara pointed at Lee's satchel bag, and Lee looked down at it as if he'd never seen it before in his life. Lee glanced back up into Gaara's eyes and shook his head.

"I…no. No. I am not." Lee put his finger under the lock and gave it a small pull, and the locker popped open noisily.

Lee shrugged.

"It is busted…from being yanked open by jocks who usually shove me in it. So now it just opens without the locker code…"

Gaara blinked, and then scratched the back of his head. _'Oh yeah…'_ he remembered.

"So…you going to class?" Gaara looked at Lee for an answer, but Lee averted his eyes quickly. After an awkward moment, he slowly glanced back at Gaara and swallowed.

"Um…Can I be honest with you…about something?"

Gaara scowled. He _really_ didn't want to hear this guy's sob story, but for some reason, he couldn't just walk away from Lee. After what Naruto shared with him yestday night…or rather, _yelled_, he felt like an idiot. So…if Lee wanted to spill guts on him, then he would let him. But that would be _all _he owed the boy.

"…Sure."Gaara leaned against the wall pillar he had been spying from earlier and groaned inwardly. _'This better not take forever.'_

Lee took a breath and then said, "I do not like…this school. So…I will finish this year on the minimum plan, and drop out." Lee looked back up at Gaara with a smile. Lee was known for smiling, but they were too toothy and too big to be normal. They were one of the reason's Lee got picked on. But this smile now...it was a real smile…a _happy_ one even. Who the hell smiles with news like _that?_

Gaara blinked when Lee turned around to…go? Gaara slipped off the wall pillar, almost tripping over his crossed legs, but caught himself. He glared at Lee's back.

"Hey! You're just going to leave? I mean…that's all you wanted to say?" Gaara fought back a laugh. That was the shortest, most unoriginal sob story he had ever _heard!_ Usually, most people had a lot of shit to say, but not Lee. But as relieved as Gaara was, he couldn't help but feel like…he got off too easy, too soon. He still felt like he owed Lee.

Lee looked at him and quirked his head, "Well, yes. You asked, so I answered. Simple as that."Lee then continued down the empty hallway. The only sounds were his small footsteps and the shuffle of his too-loose-satchel-bag tapping against his hip as he walked off. Gaara…for once in his life, was actually surprised. The happy-go-lucky Lee Rock was actually…not so happy? Not so annoying? Was Lee…normal? Gaara thought on that last one. No. No he wasn't normal, but still, this was a different Lee, and Gaara cringed. He still felt a guilty weight on his shoulders. Even though Lee let him off the hook, so _easily_, Gaara still felt like his apathy two nights before were still lingering in Lee's head.

Gaara grumbled…

Yeah. He still owed the cry baby.

Gaara kicked at the air angrily. He gave a frustrated growl before heading for the rooftop. He really needed a cigarette.

* * *

><p>Damn…two days in a row? Naruto had went to class early…<em>early! <em>Who goes to class early during a passing period? Apparently, very pissed off blonds.

Gaara wasn't as pissed today, because today, he had plans. From the rooftop, he saw Lee sneaking into the gymnasium. Lee came out about an hour later, waited a good while, then went back inside. Gaara figured Lee knew the gyms off periods. All Gaara knew, was that the bleachers did not make good napping benches. But whatever Lee was doing in there, he'd find out today. So…he was skipping class again.

About two minutes before the bell, a hooting and hollering was heard. Gaara rolled his eyes. He saw a bit of a crowd forming at the lockers, some students walked right past the nonsense, snickering, or covering their mouth and hurrying on to class. More shouts. More laughter. Gaara tensed.

Jocks.

Gaara made his way over, his stride a bit too eager to look cool. He pushed through some of the standing students, but once getting to the front of the crowd…

There was Lee, just standing in front of his banged up locker with a blank face, and there were about five jocks tossing his satchel bag back and forth between each other, laughing.

Gaara frowned. He stood in his spot though, not making a move to help…

Gaara looked about the crowd, and they too, just stood with him. Others were cheering, some wailing for Lee to do something, eager for a fight. And there were others…with sour faces. Apparently, not everyone was against Lee, but even so, they stood doing nothing, just like him.

_No one cares…about a charity case._

Gaara looked into Lee's blank face…and saw worry residing in his onyx eyes. His binder was being kicked across the floor, his papers scattered everywhere…his pens and pencils, clattering like coins on the tile…The whole scene was just sad. Sad as it was horrendous...horrendous as it was pathetic.

"_Come on Lee…do something!"_ Gaara thought. But Lee only clenched his fists and bit his lip. He was just going to sit and take it…like always.

"Ooooh...! What's this? A picture of your boyfriend?" A jock with freckles said, holding up a 4x6 photo of a man…a man that looked like Lee, but Gaara couldn't make out much more, he was too far from the picture to get any more details.

Lee, having taken to this particular taunt, snapped his head up. His eyes were wide with realization. Lee whipped his hand out to snatch the picture, but grabbed air instead. His eyes were pleading mercy.

"Give that back...please." Lee whispered, his hand still outstretched toward the jock, but the gruff boy smiled wickedly.

"I always knew you were a fag." he snorted. He nodded his head up and shook the photo a little, "You want your man-hole back?"

"Give it to me. Please…you can have everything else, just…just give me the picture back." Lee's voice would have been calm and low, but in the mist of his sentence, his voice cracked.

The jock blinked, and then eyed his other buddies, "_'Give it to me._'" He mimics, and the jocks laughed, even some of the students, but Gaara was among the few that didn't.

"What a dirty choice of words! Not everyone's a fag, you queer…oh? You're going to cry now? Aww…" The jock gave Lee's watery eyes a heavy, serious look before poking his bottom lip out and mimicking a 'boo-hoo' act. He then lifted up the picture and said, "There's nothing to cry about, fudge-packer." He extended the photo out towards Lee. "Here you go!" His voice was too high and sweet to be endearing and serious, but Lee took that moment to take the picture back, but right as his hands went to grip it, the jock was still holding onto the other end. Lee tried to yank it, but the jock was at least two times buffer than Lee, and two feet taller. The jock then took both of his hands, and ripped the picture down the middle, and then yanked the two halves out of Lee's fist, and then continued to rip them to shreds.

"Oops...my fingers slipped." He took the tiny crumbs of paper still in his hand, and blew it into Lee's chest. The jock shrugged.

"Oh well, guess you can cry about it now…fag!"

As soon as the jocks began to make their way past Lee, Lee, who was staring wide eyed at the tiny fragments of that mans picture on the school tile, actually gritted his teeth, spun around quickly, and jumped on the freckled jocks back, biting down hard on his ear.

The jock hollered loudly, throwing back his fists wildly to get Lee to fall off, but Lee didn't give out. He just kept biting. The jock then slammed himself backward into the lockers, a horrible clang was heard, and Lee slipped off, but didn't make it to the floor before another jock pulled him up by his shirt collar, and knocked him square in the jaw with his foot. The other jocks jumped down on Lee, but then…one jock was propelled back, and hit the floor hard, another's head was slammed into a locker, and another one knelt over with his hands between his legs, and fell face first onto the floor with his butt in the air. Another raced off, scared for his life, and the freckled one suddenly had a dumb, pained look on his face, before passing out on top of Lee.

Lee began to squirm under the weight of the jock mounting over him before the kid was rolled over by a strong kick in the side. The crowd quickly dispersed, out of fear most likely.

Lee propped himself up on his elbows, his vision misty, but a blurry something was in front of his face. He blinked a few times and his vision cleared completely…

A pale hand was extended out to him. Lee hesitated before taking it. The hand pulled him up quick and effortlessly. So strong and warm…

Lee swallowed when he saw his savior.

Gaara...

The redhead was wearing a frown, not a grimace…and it wasn't as nonchalant as usual…in fact, it was rather casual.

Gaara nodded his head at the victim.

"My hand, Lee."

Lee looked down to find that he was still clutching it for dear life. He gasped and let go immediately.

"Oh! So…sorry." After an awkward moment of staring at each other, Lee dropped down to his knees and started picking up scattered notes that the jocks had ripped from his binder. A grip on his shoulder quickly yanked him back up, so quick, that he stumbled on his feet before getting solid footing.

Gaara gave him a serious look, "Lee. Just leave it alone. The paper is blank, and your binder is beyond fucked. Let it stay." Lee blinked at Gaara's language. _Fucked. _Lee straightened up and blushed hard. That was the badest word there was..!

"Come on." Gaara murmurs. He slung Lee's satchel bag over his own shoulder. Lee opened his mouth to say something, anything, but he ended up saying something real intelligent like, "Uh…umm..!" Gaara gave Lee a quick glare.

"Class started ten minutes ago. And we need to disappear off the school grounds before the next passing period." Gaara growled, pushing aside a groaning jock with his Converse shoe. He began running down the main hall, but Lee hesitated. He stayed in the mist of the groaning jocks for a second, not sure if he was suppose to follow. All of a sudden, a "Come on!" echoed outward from within the main hallway. Lee jumped up and ran down the same path as Gaara had.

* * *

><p>Soon, they were out the school building, pulling off their school jackets, and shoving them into Lee's tattered shoulder bag. Gaara had on a black rocker tee underneath his school jacket, and because his school slacks were cotton, he looked like a casual dressed teenager. Lee on the other hand…he only had his white school polo on, and they were tucked down into his school pants. With a belt.<p>

Gaara sighed loudly, "You're a dead giveaway, Lee." He yanked Lee's polo out of his pants, unbuttoned the front of his shirt, and unfastened his belt and let his pants sag around his waist. Lee looked…kind of normal then…kind of…

Gaara shook his head. A confused and flushed Lee blinked at Gaara, and then down at himself.

"Good thing I always wear a tank-top, huh?" He was smiling slightly at Gaara, who brushed a hand through his own hair.

"_Wife-beater, _Lee. Only girls call undershirts 'tank-tops'."

Lee blinked, and then shrugged, "Oh…well, good thing I was wearing one."

Gaara can't help but smile. He knew Lee was never truly going to get the street lingo, so he just dropped the subject. They continued to walk across the school yard, and then toward the cross walk. The good thing about being in a prestigious public school like Konoha, was that there were small restaurant chains in the same area. Even though it wasn't 10am yet…Gaara was _starving_. When the cross walk picture turned into a green walking man, Lee and Gaara crossed the pavement quickly. Now they were in Downtown Konoha…

Gaara threw his hands out above his head in a long stretch, arching his back, and sighed softly.

_Aahhh…._

He peaked over to see Lee staring black holes at him. Gaara noted that Lee's cheeks were pink. Gaara threw his hands down, shoving them into his pockets and looked away. He didn't know what it was about Lee, but that look on Lee's face just now made him go hot. Lee wasn't exactly handsome…but in the glow of the morning, Lee looked…alright.

"Stop staring at me so much." Gaara grumbled. Lee scratched the back of his head and then shrugged. A grin on his face now.

"You…you saved me. Back there, I mean. No on usually says anything…let alone _does _anything. I am just…_shocked_! You know?" He looked Gaara in his ocean-green eyes and beamed. "I mean, you were all, '_Hi-yah! Wap! Hnnn-Uh! Take that!'_" Lee was jumping up with these weird jabs and was jingling his feet and hands in odd ways, that Gaara couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, I did _not_ do that noodle dance, nor did I shout out sound effects." Gaara couldn't stop laughing. Lee was such a dork! But he was cute.

_Cute? _Had he really just thought that about Lee?

"Noodle dance! That was Kung-Fu! See?" Lee squatted down low and leaped up and kicked a fire hydrant, but then he let out a howl of pain, hopping on one foot, looking fit to cry. Gaara offered Lee his shoulder to lean on so that he could limp the rest of their walk to god-knew-where. He kept laughing in intervals of Lee's explanation on "That kick would have worked if the hydrant were a person." And Gaara would shake his head, "Yeah, like on a jock."

"I…I did fight back! I have moves…you saw!" He pointed at Gaara dramatically, and Gaara blinked. He always knew Lee was all about fun and whatever, but he'd never really seen Lee be so animated. He liked Lee better this way than that non-caring depressed one he spoke with yesterday…

"You mean...that out-of-nowhere jump you did? That was Kung-Fu? Wasn't that your impersonation of a monkey?"

Lee kept stumbling over words with fire-hot cheeks, but Gaara just shrugged and teased him with small joking words. Soon enough, Gaara let Lee slip off his shoulder. They were in front of a small diner house called, _Sunny Side Up!_ It was the redhead's favorite breakfast place… Gaara waltzed in casually and Lee followed close behind. They were given odd looks by the older folks in the restaurant, but the waitress catering to them didn't care that they looked like minors. As far as she was concerned, Lee and Gaara were just extra tips.

She sat them at a booth and smiled very brightly. She asked what they would like to eat.

Gaara didn't need to open up his menu to give her his order.

"Could we get two coffees with cream, two glasses of peach tea, and one mug of hot water?"

The waitress blinked, but scribbled the odd order down.

"Any food for you two?" she asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, two number 5's...you're not allergic to anything are you?" Gaara pointed the question to Lee, but Lee shook his head, appearing a little embarrassed for some reason.

"Is that all?"

"Yeah."

She picked up their menus and mumbled something like, "weird," and "cute" as she left their table.

Gaara glanced at Lee and smirked.

"Why are you so quiet all of a sudden? You were sure talking my ear off out there…with your 'Kung-Fu' craziness."

Lee's cheeks flared.

"I…I do not know. I have never really been anywhere with…anybody. I was nervous so...yeah." Lee lowered his eyes and fiddled with the silverware beside him.

Gaara nodded. He should have guessed as much.

"Gaara?"

"…?"

"Why did you order…hot water?"

Gaara smiled and then lifted up his silverware, "I'm about to educate you, Lee, so listen up." Lee's head popped up, ready to learn.

"I usually drop my forks in there, and only when the food comes out, I take them out, wipe them off, and eat with _clean_ utensils."

"….."

"Yeah? You look like you want to say something."

The waitress came back with their double order of drinks. Lee took his silverware and set the heads of them into the hot water, mimicking Gaara, and left it there. Gaara then set his tea aside and started with his coffee, sipping at it without any sugar or cream…Lee however used three creams and two and a half teaspoons of sugar in his.

"So…you are a neat freak?"

Gaara nodded.

"Hm…so if I did _this-_", A flick of hot coffee specked Gaara's cheek. Gaara stared wide-eyed at Lee, who was snickering, "would you get mad?"

Gaara wiped the coffee off with the back of his hand and shrugged, his eyes mischievous.

"Mm. I'd probably have to kick your ass."

Lee smiled, "And I would defend myself with Kung-Fu."

"You mean your noodle dance?"

"No! Ku-"

"Your monkey jump?"

"…" Lee lifted up his coffee and took a long swig of it. He swallowed with a hefty gulp, and then looked away from Gaara, his cheeks still a little red. Gaara grinned.

"You started it. Don't be getting all mad…"

"I know…and I am not mad. I was just thinking. You know, about what you did for me back there." Lee looked at the redhead with serious eyes, "No one…cares…about me. I mean, no one _has_ too. Why should they care? They do not know me…or _want_ to know me."

"….." Gaara hesitated in lifting up his coffee to his lips before taking a sip to calm himself. Lee was so weird. Why bring that up right now? He understood that Lee would be grateful and all for saving him, but that weight from nights before…he could feel it forming on his shoulders again. Hadn't he just saved Lee again? He didn't _owe_ Lee anything anymore. So why did he feel…as he does?

"Gaara…I-

"Here are your meals!" the waitress interrupted. She placed down in front of them stuffed breakfast burritos with home-skillet potatoes with crunchy skin on the sides. Loose onions, bits of bacon, and colorful peppers were sticking out of the ends of the burritos. Lee's eyes went big. His stomach growled, yet…he really needed to say what was on his mind before this little 'evening' was over. He knew that after this day, Gaara wasn't going to acknowledge his existence in the halls, not with a nod, a wave, or even a look… A friendship with Gaara would be impossible.

He was out of his league…

"Gaara…"Lee mumbled, but his words died as he saw Gaara wipe his fork off with his lap napkin, and then proceeded to dig into his plump burrito. Gaara hadn't even acknowledged his name being called by Lee. Lee sat, not touching his breakfast. All of a sudden, he just wasn't hungry. The reality of things were too heavy for Lee to stand. This…_outing_ they were having, might as well be a faraway dream. This having breakfast, laughing, and joking around, was never going to happen between them again. And Gaara just proved it by ignoring Lee.

Gaara, halfway through his breakfast, peeked up to see how Lee was doing with his meal. It was untouched, and probably luke-warm. Gaara frowned.

"Uh…I'm paying for this. So don't sit there and waste my money. Eat." Gaara said, pointing at Lee threateningly with his fork. But Lee didn't give way to the taunt. He lowered his utensils and shook his head. "Sorry. I will just take it to go then. I…lost my appetite...just now."He pushed his untouched food away and stared blankly into his coffee.

Gaara stared at him, and then banged his fist on the table. Most people around them jumped, then glanced back at Gaara, and then away, whispering amongst each other. The waitress came by, a little nervous and concerned.

"Are you guys ok-

"Get us To-Go boxes. And bring the check. Thanks." Gaara hadn't even looked at the girl while he said that. She nodded and scurried off toward the back somewhere.

Gaara pushed his food away and leaned into the table. Lee was caught by surprise when Gaara had banged the table, but he didn't look mad.

"If you just wanted to talk, you should have said so." Gaara said matter-of-fact.

"I did…I mean I tried but-"

"Look, my apartment is just a few blocks from here. We can eat there and…chat. Or whatever." Gaara looked away from Lee's surprised expression, a little embarrassed. He was thankful that the check and the boxes and cups arrived quickly. He paid, boxed up both their meals and drinks, and left the restaurant with Lee in tow.

* * *

><p>The exhaustion from walking all over the world didn't hit them until they settled on the small sofa in Gaara's living room. They had left their leftovers boxed up on the kitchen counter, but they had their peach teas in their hands, slurping down a much needed cool down. Gaara kicked his feet up on the coffee table, a sort of substitute for an ataman, while Lee sat cross legged on the cushion, nervously drinking his tea.<p>

Gaara threw an arm over his face and sighed softly.

"I'm all ears, Lee." He mumbled, sounding a bit weary.

Lee shifted his weight and put his drink down on the coffee table. He breathed.

"I think you had every right to be mad at me…those nights ago." Gaara couldn't help but look surprised at that. He removed his arm to glance at Lee. He seemed…sad.

Lee glanced down at his hands and then sighed.

"I should not have been there, and with you being a bystander…it was not your business to get into my affairs with that man." Lee gave Gaara a serious look before glancing back down at himself.

"I feel grateful…but regretful too. I mean…at this rate, I am going to end up owing you for the rest of my life." Lee gave a sad laugh and shook his head, "The least I can do, is tell you why I was at that club in the first place, just to reassure you that you did…a good thing...and not regret saving me." Lee inhaled shakily.

Gaara hadn't noticed…but he had come out of his lazy position and was sitting upright, his hands intertwined in his lap, his head quirked at Lee, and his eyes slightly widened…Lee had his full attention. Gaara was actually waiting on Lee to talk…

"…Is it a sad story?" Gaara inquired.

Lee shrugged and scratched the back of his neck, "You can decide that for yourself…it is actually kind of…pathetic really, but anyway…" Lee cleared his throat.

"I…am an orphan, as you already know. In my orphanage, there was nothing to do, well, that was the case for me anyway. I am not particularly talented…at anything. So the only way I could waste time was cleaning, cooking, or studying. I was an average learner, but as I studied and read in my spare time, my grades became the highest in my orphanage."

Lee shrugged, "So…they paid for my tuition to attend Konoha High, and supplied me a small apartment in the Brooks a little ways away from here…" He looked at Gaara to see if he still had the boy's attention. And he did. He had Gaara immersed in his tale. Lee blinked, blushed, and then looked away.

"Uh, um…but before I left the orphanage, the Head Master told me that…my father came by once when I was six. He said my father couldn't adopt me then because his job was unstable…but he left a photo for me when I was old enough to seek him out…" Lee blinked slowly...he looked so _sad_. Gaara wanted to put his hand on Lee's shoulder, but the aura around Lee was so thick and black, he couldn't bring himself to do it, so he waited.

"Well…that photo is in shreds now…but the picture is forever up here." Lee pointed to his head and smiled slightly, "So I do not care…that it is not in my grasp now." Lee shrugged and rolled his shoulder.

"I…do not get internet at my apartment, so I go to the library instead. All I know is that my father's first name is 'Gai'." Lee shook his head, "You would not believe how many _Gai's_ there are in Konoha, let alone the internet."

Lee frowned, "So, I sent out messages across the internet , PM's, socialized on Facebook…and still, after 4 long years of searching for Gai…I got negative matches." Lee sunk his head into his arms and stayed silent for a minute. He then came out from his turtle-like position and sighed softly, "But I found a match a week ago. They had no photo, and the year marked on their profile sounded like a reasonable age for my father to be. So…I asked if we could meet up. They gave me a date, and then typed out an address I never saw before…but I did not care. I scribbled it down anyway and told them I would be there."

Lee gave Gaara a very broken look...Lee almost seemed as though he was fit to cry, but he didn't.

"On that day…even though the address led me to a club…and even though I should have turned around…the hope that my dad could actually be this man helped me go through with the meeting but then...I met…a different _guy_. Younger than the age on the website…and he kept saying that he knew Gai, that he looked like me…and that he'd take me to him…so I…agreed and…" Lee blinked, and then covered his mouth with a shaky hand. He then bowed his head and stayed that way for a long time. Gaara could feel anger boiling up from within, a wrath he never knew he possessed.

"People like that…should die…he should die for what he did to you…to _anyone_." Gaara's voice was low and bitter. If he saw that man on the street...and even if people were around…Gaara would kick the shit out of him without mercy. Period.

Lee shook his head. He looked at Gaara, his cheeks wet. Wiping away tears, he smiled tightly.

"Gaara…thank you…for saving me…today…and those days ago. I will try to stay out of trouble. And stay out of your hair…you do not need to worry anymore." Lee got up suddenly, bent over to reach for his satchel-bag. He took out Gaara's uniform jacket and handed it to him politely. Hesitantly…Gaara accepted it.

"Thank you for the food today…I will take it home with me." Lee headed to the kitchen behind them, and Gaara stood up, watching Lee navigate around his apartment. Gaara just found the whole scene…lonely. The space was meant for two, but Lee lived in a ratty apartment a few blocks over, by himself…was Lee's kitchen as big as his? Was it smaller? Did he even _have_ a kitchen? Gaara had the slightest notion to stop Lee from leaving, but the serious look in Lee's onyx eyes stopped him from attempting a, "Don't go."

Lee headed toward the door with his drink and To-Go breakfast in his arms. He nodded at Gaara as if saying, "Bye." He then pushed the door open with his back, and kicked it closed with his foot.

And he was gone.

Gaara stared blankly at the spot Lee had just been in, at the door, no smile on his face, just sad…

Contemplating the situation, Gaara just couldn't make sense of what had just happened. Lee spilled his life on Gaara's sofa, was grateful for being saved, said thank you, and left. But that, "Bye", just now felt too final. Gaara almost felt as though he might never see Lee again.

Gaara took up the remote, clicked on the TV, and plopped down on his sofa, but he couldn't relax. Lee had just left. Perhaps forever.

The sofa didn't feel so soft, and the warmth from where Lee had sat was slowly fading away…

"Fuck!" Gaara shouted. He sprang up from his comfy position on the counch, threw on his Converse, and was out the door in seconds.

* * *

><p>It must have been past noon, especially since the morning light had dimmed to a pale orange blue…<p>

Gaara wondered around loosely in an area he believed to be the Brooks…but Lee had left his apartment only minutes before him. That couldn't have given Lee enough time to get out of his viewing range…right?

He walked under a fire escape stairway and peaked into the alley nearby…a huge air condition machine was noisily coughing, and a blue dumpster sat right across from it. The sidewalk was littered with weeds, loose gravel, and even shattered glass from liquor bottles. Hell, just a while back, Gaara had stepped on a used condom and freaked out.

Gaara sighed loudly.

_What a shithole…_

And Lee's orphanage sent him to live here..? If Gaara were Lee, he'd fucking sue.

A whispery voice from far off rattled the air.

"We can have fun…wouldn't you like that?"

"...Yeah, but…" said another voice. It sounded smaller…higher…and younger. It wasn't Lee's voice, and that was enough to relieve Gaara.

But that other one…

A boy emerged in the distance. He had jumped out of a crook in the wall, and started running in the opposite direction of Gaara. After a time, a man appeared. Neatly clad in plaid…glasses…and long hair.

White hair.

Gaara backed up under the shadow of the fire escape stairway. He watched the man approach slowly, but as he came into view, Gaara was becoming more than sure of his identity.

This man…was the same one that hurt Lee.

When the man was close enough, Gaara pounced out of the shadows, and locked the man in a choke hold with his arms. He dragged the man quickly into the noisy alleyway.

Gaara threw the man down onto his face in front of the dumpster. The man sputtered and coughed, and right when he twisted his head around to see his attacker, Gaara kicked him in chin, and the man's glasses went skidding down the concrete of the alley floor. Then he kicked him in the side. And then the shin. And then…everywhere. Kick. Kick. _Kick_.

Gaara was breathing hard after a few minutes of throwing his legs out hard into the man.

The man was a crying, whimpering mess, but Gaara didn't care. The red head walked around the shaking man while lighting a cigarette. He took a long drag of the cancer stick before tossing his head back and blowing the smoke out for the world to see. He watched it curl into the air and then disperse into nothing…_Just like Lee's hope for his dad. Just like his hope for a friendly world._

"…Are you…going to…k-kill…me?" came the man's cry. Gaara looked down into the man's face. Pathetic and bloodied. Gaara shrugged.

"No. But when I get done with you, you're going to wish you were." Gaara kneeled down beside the man's hip. He ripped the side of the man's plaid shirt. The man wailed, panicked, but Gaara punched him in the side to silence him.

"You deserve every bad thing that has ever happened to you. And don't pretend like you don't." Gaara then began to press the burning end of his cigarette against the man's exposed skin, and the man's screams filled the alley, but the air conditioning machine roared throughout the Brooks…drowning the man out.

* * *

><p>The banged up locker looked worse up close. It was dented in, and the four little slits at the top were bloated, making the slits seem oval, or even curled. Just last month, someone had placed a firecracker inside of it. Lee had been suspended for three days, even though the staff knew he hadn't done it. The old Gaara would have found that stunt priceless, but after that incident at that club house, after what Naruto shared with him about Sasuke, and after what Lee had said to him on his sofa, Gaara couldn't find much to laugh about.<p>

He was waiting for Lee at his locker. But right around the corner…a raven haired boy was walking up to him. A familiar face... The boy was pale skinned, and his hair was styled back with spikes. His eyes were coal black slants, and his whole face was littered with crooked band-aids and gauze. Gaara threw out a fist, but the boy caught it, not in the least bit surprised. He threw Gaara's hand back and said, "Gaara."

"Sasuke."

They stared at each other for a time.

Sasuke sighed, breaking the silence.

"You don't have to kick my ass," he growled, "Naruto already did." He pointed to his battered face and shrugged.

Gaara crossed his arms, not at all ready to forgive the Uchiha for what he did. And from his bruises…it hadn't look like Naruto forgave him either.

Sasuke scratched the back of his neck.

"I arrived yesterday from the Sound Academy you know. I transferred back here for my senior year, like I promised my brother I would." Sasuke didn't look proud when he said the name of his other school, but his voice perked up at the word 'transferred back'.

"…Naruto was the first to notice me in the hallway. So…the first thing I could think to do was walk over and say I was sorry. The next thing that happened was me on the floor, getting wailed on by Naruto's fists. Just smacking the shit out of me."Sasuke rubbed his nose and sniffed hard.

"I didn't fight back. I know I deserved it…" He glanced up at Gaara with serious black orbs and said, "Naruto…bandaged me up at my apartment…and stayed the night. If you were wondering why he wasn't at your place yesterday…well, that's the reason for it."

Gaara frowned.

"Where is Naruto, now?"

Sasuke's cheeks turned a little pink before he broke his gaze from Gaara's.

"He's…in class…I drove him here today so…" he looked at Gaara, a little nervous. Gaara almost wanted to laugh at the Uchiha. It was funny…what a crush could do to such a calm person…

"I think…he's still mad…and I don't think he's forgiven me yet but…maybe he will someday?" The Uchiha looked deeply into Gaara's eyes, really wondering what the redhead's opinion was on all this.

Gaara smirked, "Maybe. This is stubborn-ass-Naruto we're talking about." Sasuke smiled at that.

"'Maybe' sounds good. Really good." The Uchiha, as if realizing that he was smiling, quickly wiped it away. Gaara mentally noted the Uchiha's behavior. He'd have to tell Naruto through a text_: U've turned ur boyfriend into a dope like u. _

"I see you've changed a bit…" Sasuke gestured at Gaara.

Gaara shoved his hands into his slack pockets, kind of offended.

"Changed how?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Well, you didn't kick my ass for one." He laughed.

Gaara smirked, "Oh? Did you want me to?"

Sasuke shook his head quickly, trying not to snort.

"No way. Your kicks are some strong mother-fuckers. Knock the farts right out of me..."

They both laughed in the hallway.

Gaara waved Sasuke off lazily as he left for the art hall. The art hall had the most off periods, and right now, there were no classes going on, and the teachers had left to god-knows-where.

Gaara ducked under a huge banner he had forgotten lingered in the art hall. It was a painted mess of rainbow hands with black lettering across it saying, "Brotherhoods Reach." Coming out on the other side of the banner…he saw that same tattered satchel-bag in a cross-legged lap. He straightened up and saw the distraught face of a boy.

Lee.

Seeing Gaara, Lee got up to run, but the redhead was already by his side, and gripped at his shoulder bag, reeling Lee in with a strong pull. He forced Lee around to look at him and…Lee's cheeks were pale.

"Hey, what's wrong? Why did you run?" Gaara said, not caring that his voice was too loud for the empty hallway. Lee was panting, out of breath it seemed. Had he just been resting _from_ running? And if he was…

"Who was chasing you?" Gaara whispered, shaking Lee by the shoulders for emphasis. Whoever it was, he was going to whoop their-

"N-No one…I was…running away from something…that just happened…" Lee said, his voice a little hysterical. His eyes were wide, jumping around the hallway. Gaara narrowed his eyes.

"What happened…you can tell me anything. You know that, right?" He motioned for Lee to sit down besides a series of lockers. When Lee settled down, Gaara sat close beside him, so close, that their thighs almost brushed together when they breathed.

"I…still do not believe it myself. That guy…from yesterday, the one with the freckles…he…just now…"Lee brought his legs up to his chest and rested his chin on his knees. He whispered softly, "He kissed me."

Gaara snapped his head at Lee.

He was going to fuck that freckled-jock _up_.

"I…have never been kissed…or touched…by someone that I liked. Ever. Those two incidents…they do not count against me…right?"He looked at Gaara with pleading eyes. They practically begged, "Say no!"

Gaara dropped his face into his hands. After a second, he ran his fingers through his thick red hair and sighed heavily.

"Lee…do you believe that you can kiss someone that you haven't known for long…under false impressions…and it still count?" He looked at the boy beside him for an answer, but Lee's face was a question mark.

"I…do not understand…what does that have to do with-"

"You said you've never been kissed or touched by someone you liked. If you knew someone for a short while…but you liked them a lot based off of their short impression…would it be okay to kiss them? Even if they end up as an ass later, or even a complete douche...would it be okay to kiss them…under the false impression of your liking them?"

Lee blinked and then blinked again.

"What…are you saying?" Lee said, a hint of a laugh in his words. Gaara could feel his cheeks flaring. What the hell was wrong with him…he has said pick up lines before, and they always worked. He's kissed…licked…fucked _lots_ of other girls _and _boys, yet he's never been this geeky about it. With the nervousness and the blushing…he hadn't even freaked out the first time he had sex with a girl.

"…Lee," Gaara turned to face Lee, who had his head down on his propped up knees, looking deeply into Gaara's eyes… For a long minute, they just stared at each other.

"Can I…kiss you?"

Lee didn't have time to answer before Gaara stole his lips in a sweet kiss. Gaara parted for a second to look Lee's expression over. The boy was completely shocked, yet…dazed at the same time. Gaara kissed Lee again, this time not so politely. And then again, roughly, faster, quick little kisses. Kisses all over…The redhead just couldn't control himself…he needed Lee. This burst of passion, a passion he'd never felt for anyone before, was a warm fire that consumed him in the most suffocating embrace, but it was strangely delicate too. The heat he was feeling was strong and hot. Fever hot.

He hadn't even felt this way with Naruto when they were having sex…

Lee broke the series of wet kisses, not because he wanted too, but because he was out of breath, and so was Gaara.

"W-we should…go…to your…apartment…or something…" He panted. His eyes were foggy, and his cheeks were the sweetest rose color…

Gaara swallowed.

He was having a reaction. Gaara could feel his pants getting tight.

"I…I don't think I can make it…" Lee quirked one of his square brows, but when he looked down at Gaara's lap…

"…_Oh!_" He blushed, whipping his eyes away fast.

Gaara blushed out of embarrassment. Damn it! He knew Lee wasn't ready for…_that_! He really didn't want to run the guy off. He really liked Lee…like, _really_ liked Lee.

"Let's…go to the restroom. I'll get rid of it there." Gaara rose to his feet quickly. He looked down at Lee, and gave the boy his hand, but Lee didn't take it. His cheeks were extremely pink.

Gaara blinked. How had he not noticed before? After nearly four years of seeing him in the halls…how had he not noticed how adorable Lee was? Lee was actually…really…kind of…_cute_.

"I…kind of…had a reaction too. I just noticed it…" Lee's blush went about ten shades darker.

Gaara couldn't help but lick his lips. God…he was so perverted.

"We'll take care of them in the restroom." And with that, Lee took Gaara's hand, and together, they darted for the men's room. Thank god no one was inside. Lee was unsure of how to…do _that_. He'd never touched himself…he never had the desire to. He was so immersed in his search for his father, nothing else had seemed to mattered to him. Not even his own needs. Lee, not knowing what to do, fidgeted and looked to Gaara for help. But when he turned around, Gaara was already undoing his fly and…

There it was. Sticking straight up and looking very…_very…intimidating. _Gaara was shorter than Lee in the height department, at least by two or three inches, but Gaara had him beat in the area _below_ the belt... Lee had to look away. He was _so_ embarrassed!

Gaara looked at Lee, surprised that he was standing there with his problem still hidden from view.

"Lee, if you don't release now, it's going to hurt later…" Lee shook his head.

"That is news to me…because I have never done this before!"He whispered sharply, almost hysterically. Lee ran, heading for a stall, but Gaara yanked Lee by the arm to stop him.

"Come here. I'll show you." Lee paused briefly, but did as Gaara said. He stood at Gaara's side, all the while peeking around them, praying that no one came by.

As if reading his mind, Gaara smirked, "No one is going to come, Lee. Everyone in the art hall is either at lunch, or in a study block. And we both know that those two areas are on the opposite side of the building." Gaara then grabbed Lee's waist, reeling him in slowly.

"Closer…"

Lee swallowed and did as instructed. He was only a breath away from Gaara now…

"G-go easy on me!" Lee panicked. Gaara brushed Lee's cheek gently with the back of his hand, calming Lee down almost instantly.

Gaara sighed, "You're so adorable…I feel stupid that I'm just now realizing this. It's no wonder that jock wanted you for himself…" He pressed a gentle kiss to Lee's forehead, nose, and cheek. Lee's body unraveled from its tense state rather quickly…

Lee felt himself jut into the air, and then, when he blinked, he realized his feet weren't touching the tile floor. He then noticed that he was sitting along the steel sink counter with Gaara standing in between his legs…

"Had to distract you." Gaara murmured, catching Lee's lips in another sweet kiss. A fiddling at the hem of his pants made Lee go still.

"Relax…"Gaara cooed. With the last button undone, Lee felt the rush of cool air hit his exposed member. He didn't dare look down. He was too nervous. A press of fingers riding up his shirt made him gasp. The slip of his jacked could be felt rolling off his shoulders, and bunching up around his arms. Suddenly….his polo followed suit. He was bare-chested, and freezing from the chilly air dancing about the room.

"Gaara…"He murmured. "It hurts…down there…" he bit his lip, not knowing what to do, or why they were in such a suggestive position.

"Watch…"Gaara whispered. His hand grasped both of them, stroking them in unison. Lee gasped loudly. Gaara tried to shush Lee, but he himself was groaning a little… Lee held onto Gaara's shoulders with tight fingers. He was breathing in strange intervals. It was all becoming too much...

"Ah…th-this feels…weird..!" Lee threw his head back in a silent gasp at the long, hard stroke of Gaara's fist. Gaara was moaning low, but when the pressure became unbearable, he gripped Lee's waist with both his hands, and began to grind himself against Lee _hard_. Gaara swallowed Lee's moan of surprise with a deep kiss. Lee couldn't help himself…he wrapped his arms around Gaara's shoulders, combing his fingers through that wild red mess of hair he had longed to touch…it was course, and so thick, that it felt wirey, but he _loved _it's feel. The press of their stomachs, their tongues against the other, and the friction of their heat…it was too much…too much.

That sweet flame of warmth boiled over into a heavy white burst of passion. A surprised shout escaped Lee's throat. Gaara grunted hotly. And after their release, they both went limp, breathing hard and fast, but they were satisfied…very satisfied.

Gaara held Lee's limp upper half in a loose embrace, sighing with content. Lee hummed with what sounded like a sweet lullaby.

"Lee…"Gaara said after a time. "I know you're still trying to get used to me…but, I don't like you living in the Brooks all by yourself." He gently stroked Lee's fine hair. "I would like you…to move in with me." Lee's head jutted up quick, almost too quick. He barely missed bumping his head against Gaara's chin.

"But…doesn't Naruto-"

"Yes. But I think Naruto is staying at Sasuke's place…I'll ask him about your staying with me, and him moving in with Sasuke. I don't think he'll mind…"

Lee blushed, but quickly worried his bottom lip.

"I...do not have anything to contribute to your place…I mean, it looks so classy…the rents got to be ridiculously _high_."

Gaara shook his head, "Don't worry about it. My dad is a corporal business man." Lee quirked his head.

"He's rich, Lee."

"Oh…no. No. I could not just barge in and waste his money by living there! That's just..just-"

"Lee." Gaara too Lee by the cheeks and stared deep into his eyes, "You deserve every luxury in life. Just accept it. You're going to live with me. No excuses."

Lee blushed darkly. "Oh…kay."

They sat there, not too nervous by the other, but they still blushed at their mess…So they quickly cleaned themselves off with the bathroom soap and napkins.

Waltzing out of the bathroom, they interlocked their fingers and walked along the art hallway, browsing at the display cases in awe. There was a piece in particular that caught Gaara's eye…a canvas painted with watercolor… It was a picture of a stone erupting out of a heart… Lee tilted his head in confusion, not at all understanding the message, but when he looked at Gaara…the redhead had the slightest smile on his lips. If Gaara understood it…then maybe he'd share the meaning of it with Lee one day.

Yeah…

Someday soon, he hoped.


End file.
